The Ministry of Labor (MOL) on Wednesday responded to criticism in a US Department of State human rights report about poor working conditions for migrant workers in Taiwan, saying that laws protect the rights of foreign workers and improvement efforts are ongoing.
The US’ 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices said that migrant workers in Taiwan generally face exploitation and incur debt burdens in the recruitment process, due to excessive fees, guaranteed deposits, and high airfare and accommodation costs.
“Brokerage agencies often required workers to take out loans for ‘training’ and other fees at local branches of Taiwan banks in their home countries at high interest rates, leaving them vulnerable to debt bondage,” the report said.
The ministry said that existing laws forbid local brokers to charge migrant workers brokerage fees, while employers are responsible for certain expenses incurred during recruitment, such as registration and service fees.
Fees for worker training, document processing and travel arrangements are regulated by the workers’ home country, the ministry said.
The report said that foreign fishers in Taiwan are commonly subjected to mistreatment and poor working conditions, while the ministry said that experts are reviewing policies to introduce improvements.
The report cited other discriminatory measures against migrant workers, such as instances during the COVID-19 pandemic when they were prohibited from leaving their dormitories other than for work.
Migrant workers could report contraventions of the guidelines to the “1955” hotline that it oversees, the ministry said.
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